Skylarking

XTC | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Geffen Records
• ASIN: B000000OQ3
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,105 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Summer's Cauldron

2. Grass

3. The Meeting Place

4. That's Really Super, Supergirl

5. Ballet for a Rainy Day

6. 1000 Umbrellas

7. Season Cycle

8. Earn Enough for Us

9. Big Day

10. Another Satellite

11. The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul

12. Dear God

13. Dying

14. Sacrificial Bonfire

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous, June 3, 2000

By 

Rich Bunnell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Skylarking (Audio CD)

This was my first real XTC album (as is the case for many, many people) and when I first put it in, I thought "God....these songs are BORING." I only liked "Dear God" and "Earn Enough For Us," both of which were on their "Upsy Daisy" hits collection, which I played instead. Months later, however, I put in the album for another listen, and it all just....HIT ME. ALL of it. I don't care for "1000 Umbrellas" too much, but every other song is a gorgeous, Todd Rundgren-produced masterwork. My favorites are "The Meeting Place," "Sacrificial Bonfire," "Season Cycle," and the two that I mentioned earlier, but it's pretty much all great. XTC mastered the studio sound here and would continue to do so for the next several albums, though the only time they really hit this high again is on the brilliant "Chips From The Chocolate Fireball" album that they recorded as the Dukes. I have nothing more to say-- I know that by adding a 5-star review I'm just throwing another good opinion into the mush and no one will read this, but the album deserves it, darnit.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-Constructed Baroque Pop, January 16, 2002

By 

Scott McFarland (Manassas, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Skylarking (Audio CD)

Todd Rundgren managed to infuriate the band during the recording of this LP, but he did a great job helping them to pick and sequence their material, and to frame it sound-wise and mix it into a beautiful record.

The songs are strong. At least one of Partridge's overly wordy and effete clunkers creeps ("Supergirl") and "Season Cycle" is overly derivative (of the Beach Boys). But the rest of the material is well worth a spin. And Todd the Godd retains his ability to knock out wonderful-sounding LPs (file this one next to Patti Smith's "Wave" and the Psychedelic Furs' "Forever Now").

In the end the arrangements mix strings, an effective rhythm section (Prairie Prince does the drumming), guitars, idiosynchratic vocals, and various other effects into a satisfying stew not unlike something the Beatles might have come up with had they been working together during the late 80's.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars without a doubt... xtc's best album, September 7, 2001

By 

the late b.p. helium (Athens, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Skylarking (Audio CD)

i've read some of the other reviews on here...

with the dukes of stratosphear coming a close second,
skylarking is the best XTC album in the catalog.
it's my 2nd favorite album of all time. number 1?
double nickels on the dime by the minutemen.

when i first heard 'skylarking' i didn't get it.
like many albums, i set it aside for about a year.
luckily, i revisited the record and it never ceases
to amaze.

give it a chance and you will be rewarded.